In Search of the Sea Wolf
by gingerchangeling
Summary: When she is tasked by her employer with the assignment that could "make or break this company" Emma Swan could hardly believe that the key was a rural town on an island off the coast of western Canada. Going undercover, her son in tow, can she complete her assignment or is there something even greater at stake? It all falls to the one fate has throw to the wolves. The Sea Wolves.
1. Chapter 1

As Emma pulled the car off the road, she winced as the gravel from the unpaved shoulder hit the bottom of the Bug, although she wasn't sure if she was wincing at the noise or sympathy pains as the exhaust under the car rattled from the tiny impacts. She eased off the gas until the tires rolled to a stop, before she quietly shifted into park, tossing a look toward the passenger seat before looking behind her to find the small bag of snacks she had thrown in the back earlier in the day.

Stealthily, she opened her door and slipped out into the fresh air, leaving the door open just a crack behind her to avoid rattling the car. Then she walked to the hood, sitting down gently, kicking her feet up onto the the metal guide rail that traced the edge of the shoulder. And looked.

Before her, laid out as if before the eyes of some heavenly deity, the entirety of the valley spread out below her, the sun casting long shadows onto the land. Nine days straight of driving, and she couldn't help but think that the view before her just may have made the endless hours on the road worth it.

An untainted sunset over the Rockies, John Denver playing softly from the car stereo, no one on the road behind her, and none on the road before her. It was as if she was the only person in the whole of existence.

Well, not quite the only person.

Emma looked over her shoulder through the windshield and felt her heart warm as she took in Henry, slumped over in the passenger seat, his hoodie-covered head pressed up against the window, his favorite Tardis patterned scarf sticking out, the remnants of his chocolate bar smeared on his lips and the wrapper dangling from his relaxed hand.

As always happened when she got introspective watching her son, she could not help the sting of tears that pressed against her lids as she closed her eyes to savor a sudden gust of wind, marveling that they were where they were, after all the struggles they had both gone through.

 _The decision to leave her last foster home had been an easy one. The man was handsy and the woman was handsier. So when they were both passed out drunk one night, having forgotten to lock her in her room, she packed her little bag of wonders and fled. She met Neal not long after that._

 _He was everything she had ever dreamed of growing up. Smart and witty, quick with his hands and light on his feet. With every misfortune they encountered, he made her believe that it was a new adventure that only the two of them could best._

 _Neal made her feel wanted, every time he winked at her before using her to distract a mark or reached for her after a particularly close scrape to help burn off his adrenaline, burying his face in her neck to press harsh kisses to her skin. He was addicting, always making her crave him and all he offered her._

 _Because it was always her he wanted._

 _Until the day he didn't. She heard him on a disposable phone while she was in the bathroom, one he kept so that he could reach his "contacts," or so he said. He was shouting._

 _"I don't want to. I have it good here. Supply ready for me whenever I want it. I-"_

 _His voice had cut out, and she could tell whoever it was on the other end of the line had raised their voice._

 _Neal was silent for several second before he inhaled sharply. "Wait, are you serious?"_

 _He paused again, before he let out a low laugh, that had a tiny shiver of apprehension sliding down Emma's spine. "Yeah, ok. I'll clean up my mess and get things tidy."_

 _There was another bought of silence followed by Neal's scoff, "Of course I can take out my own garbage."_

 _Then she heard him disconnect the line with a click , and she quickly turned to pretend to be busy at the counter. A few moments later, she heard the door open, and Neal walked in, "Hey babe, how much longer are you gonna be?"_

 _Emma gave him a smile she hoped he would believe, feeling guilty for having eavesdropped on his conversation. "Not long."_

 _A few days after that conversation he told her about some watches he'd hidden in a locker in a train station. Watches worth enough to set them up forever and finally let her have the only thing she ever wanted._

 _Someone to come home to._

 _So when she went to meet Neal at the agreed upon location and was instead met with the flash of lights and the wails of sirens, as the cuffs closed about her wrists, she vowed to herself she would never look for home again._

 _Because all it ever did was burn her._

 _When she was sentenced to a year in prison, her case worker told her she was lucky to get such a light sentence, given the fact that she was probably going to be a repeat offender. She knew she should have been angry but she had been feeling so horrible, feeling as if the life was draining out of her, craving Neal's touch before remembering what he'd done to her._

 _It was as the cell door slammed shut behind her, as she swayed on her feet, that she made the sudden connection._

 _Neal's scoff. "Of course I can take out my own garbage."_

 _She should have burned up with fury. But all she could do was collapse on the bed and cry, wishing that he was there to get her out of this latest scrape. As weeks passed, she stopped waking in the middle of the night, screaming in agony at the fire in her veins, crying out for Neal. Her mind began to feel clearer, and the anger that should have erupted from the very beginning instead simmered in her chest, helping her get stronger every day._

 _Until the morning she woke suddenly, not in agony, but to empty the feeble contents of her stomach. And then next morning. And the morning after that._

 _When she was approached by an older black woman Emma knew had been sentenced to life without parole for killing her husband, her dark eyes sorrowful, the woman simply offered her a small box, "I'm so sorry."_

 _Emma looked down at the box, the container for a home pregnancy test, and suddenly understood._

 _The woman seemed to read it in her face, "Come on darling, there's no sense in putting it off."_

 _Emma's body seemed to have detached from her mind, and refused to move as she absorbed the idea. The woman didn't seem phased, simply coming to stand by her and with the softest of touches, helped Emma to her feet and towards the toilet, keeping her steady. She sat with Emma while she waited for the three minutes to tell her what she already knew._

 _The sight of those two pink lines simply broke her, and the woman was there to catch Emma's sobbing form, stroking her hair and cooing quietly in her ear. Emma mourned her whole life in the strange woman's arms, and when there was no grief left for her to cry out, the woman wrapped her up in a hug and slowly got her back to her cell._

 _Emma refused to leave her bed for days, staring at the stick that had condemned her to carry a piece of the man who betrayed her forever, who took both her liberty and her innocence, neither of which she had intended to give away._

 _But three days after she had taken the test, a group of women, all races and sizes, crowded outside her cell, some holding food, others blankets or pillows. Emma wasn't sure what to make of it, but one of the women stepped forward._

 _"Mama Merlin said you was having a baby, and the boy who should be his daddy up and left you. That don't fly with us. Ain't nobody should leave their child behind, no matter what kinda law be after them. But we gonna make sure this little baby have it better than if he ever had his dead beat daddy."_

 _Emma sniffled quietly, shocked by her words, "But why?" she rasped out._

 _The woman's eyes softened, "Because we is sisters here. And family gotta stick together."_

 _Emma stiffened, a strange warm glow blossoming in her chest. "Family?"_

 _At her shaky question, most of the group broke out into smiles. The woman stepped up to sit next to Emma, not getting to close but showing Emma that she wasn't afraid to be close to her._

 _"That's right, babe. Family. My name is Micky."_

 _Emma gave a tiny watery laugh, "Nice to meet you Micky."_

 _Micky gave her a radiant smile, "And now we need to know the name of our new sister."_

 _For the first time since she had run from that foster home so many months before, Emma felt like she could breathe deeply again._

 _"Emma. My name is Emma."_

Emma turned back towards the skyline, a smile touching her lips as it always did when she thought of those women. It had taken going to prison and getting pregnant by the man who set her up for his crime to finally find a family. She remembered Cass trying to teach her handstands in the yard and Steph teaching her the best way to avoid morning sickness. Kit, who gave her excellent foot massage while she spun the stupidest stories intended to get her to laugh and forget her woes for a while. Misty teaching her how to tell a person's history by their body language. And Kate taught her how to cook and braid and pick pockets and locks whenever the warden wasn't around.

But the person she remembered most fondly was Mama Merlin. The woman had gone to jail for killing her husband. Emma had learned later that the reason she'd killed him was because he'd come home drunk one night and beat their child to death,Mama Merlin had paid him back in kind with a knife through the fourth and fifth ribs.

 _"Wait, you managed to kill him with a steak knife?"_

 _Mama Merlin looked down at her where Emma's head rested in her lap, hair fanned out while Mama brushed it. "My sweet child, you can kill a man with anything as long as you know where his weakest point is."_

 _Emma went silent before she asked softly, "What… what was your son like?"_

 _Mama's eyes went distant as she spoke, "He had a radiant smile. From the moment that boy was put in my arms, I knew that child would be a blessing to every person around him. He had a way of lighting up a room just by being in it."_

 _Emma gave her a tiny smile, "What was his name? If you don't me asking."_

 _Mama Merlin looked down at her, "Oh I don't mind sweet child. The worse thing I could do for him now is forget about him, so even if it causes me pain, I still owe it to him to remember every smile he ever gave me. My beautiful baby. My Henry."_

 _It was the news that Mama Merlin had fallen and been taken to the infirmary as a result of a heart attack that shocked Emma into labor. The pain was unimaginable, but after it was all over, and that tiny baby was tucked into her side, she suddenly realized, there in the hospital she had found home._

 _One of the nurses came up, "It's a healthy baby boy. Ten fingers, ten toes. He's perfect."_

 _Emma gazed down on the child in adoration. "Yeah, he is."_

 _"What would you like to name him?"_

 _Emma didn't know, hadn't even thought about it, but then the infant opened his eyes and looked up at her for a moment, before he gave her a broad grin._

 _And then she knew._

 _"Henry. His name is Henry."_

 _It took three days for her to be allowed to leave the bed, and as soon as she was able she begged the nurse to take her to Mama Merlin's room. As they approached, they noticed that a priest was leaving the room, and when Emma entered, she saw oil glistening on Mama's forehead._

 _The woman looked like a shadow of her former self, but her eyes still sparkled with kindness and lit up in delight went they saw Emma standing at the door. She wasn't able to lift her head from the bed, but she was propped up enough to still be able to see them. She motioned weakly with her hand, calling Emma closer._

 _Emma shuffled over to the side of the bed and as she got closer, Mama realized that she was cradling her child in her arms. A look of such desperate longing passed over her face that Emma immediately offered, "You want to hold him, Mama?"_

 _She nodded weakly, and when Emma heard the nurse start to raise objection, she sent a glare at her that silenced any protest. Carefully Emma placed Henry in Mama's arms, keeping her hands underneath the baby to support his weight as the older woman cradled the boy._

 _"W… ts hs name?" Mama whispered, her voice barely making it past her her lips._

 _Emma was silent for a moment, before she said quietly, "Henry."_

 _The woman gasped and let out a sob, bringing the child to her face to press his forehead to her cheek. But after a few moments, Henry began fussing and she pulled the boy back slightly. Emma watched as the boy stilled again, looking up at the older woman with wide eyes, before he raised a tiny hand to press it to her lips. Then he gave the biggest Emma had ever seen from him, beaming up at the woman who held him._

 _And the woman looked down with pure adoration in her eyes. "He srly is Henry," she whispered, then she brought Henry's forehead back to her lips, pressing a kiss of pure love into his skin. "Ev'ha s'smile."_

 _Suddenly, Mama's arms went limp and the heart monitor next to the bed began wailing, disturbing Henry, his smile dropping away as he started to cry. All Emma could do was pull her son back to her chest and stare down at the woman who had managed to show her more about what a mother's love looks like than anyone in her life._

 _Emma made a vow, as she leaned over to press one last kiss to the woman's forehead, that this time, Henry would get the life he deserved. For both of them._

She was jarred from her reminiscing by the sound of the car door opening. She turned to look over her shoulder again to watch Henry slowly make his way out of the car, his hair in a massive cowlick from where it was pressed up against the glass. He stood up then stretched, arching backward with a groan, and Emma was struck with how tall her son was getting. He now stood a head taller than her car.

Once he'd finished his stretch he turned towards her for a second, before his eyes focused on the view behind her.

"Woah," he said quietly, closing the door and wandering over to where she was. She shifted over, and Henry plopped down on the hood beside her, shaking the car and making the sheet metal bend slightly.

"How many times have I told you not to flop on the car?" She said with mock sternness.

"Sorry, Bug," he mumbled, running his hand lightly over the paint beside him, and Emma couldn't help it. She reached over and pulled Henry towards her. To her surprise, he went willingly, tipping into her side, his head landing on her shoulder.

It was only after he'd been leaning against her for a long moment that she noticed he was slightly shaking. She pulled back to look down at him, "Hey, you cold?"

Henry didn't answer her for a moment. Then he shook his head, saying quietly, "No. I… I had a dream about him again."

Emma stiffened before she could school her reaction, the memory of that _monster_ still haunted her as well. She pulled Henry close, pressing her cheek to his head.

"I am so sorry you ever had to go through that Henry," she murmured. She felt him shrug slightly.

"It's alright, Mom. Besides, if he hadn't done what he did, I wouldn't know just how badass you are."

Emma threw back her head in laughter, shaking the whole car as Henry gave a little snort of amusement. As her laughter slowly died, Emma reached over and pulled Henry's face to her lips to give him a big wet kiss in the cheek.

"MOOOOOOOooooooOOOooooOoooom," he whined. "I take it back, you aren't cool at all."

But Emma just pulled him tight to her side, "Nope, can't do that, no take-backsies."

"Mom, its take-backs, and no one even says that anymore."

"Yeah well, none of those either."

"God, Mom you are so weird."

"Yeah, but you are nerd so we are even."

He opened his mouth, as if he was gonna argue when he paused, before nodding, "You have me there."

She smirked before leaning back on her hands, turning to watch the sun as it threw ever lengthening shadows on the peaks that surrounded them. Henry followed suite, his shoulder bumping hers as they both looked out over the mountains.

As the sky grew ever darker, she watched from the corner of her eye as Henry's eyes slowly wandered upwards to the stars. After a long moment, she heard him mumble something under his breath and she had to turn her face towards the road to hide the loving smile on her face that she knew her son would not appreciate.

Because she knew what he had mumbled under his breath, whispered in a habit he'd developed when he was a toddler.

A wish upon his favorite star. Alpha Cygnus, the brightest star of his favorite constellation. The Swan. She knew that he still made his wishes, even if he would deny it if she asked him outright, the small spark of childish hope in him that she worked desperately to preserve keeping that belief alive.

She waited a few moments before shifting, the sun completely beneath the horizon now and the long shadows pulling the cold night down had finally caught up to them. The she sacked his arm, "Come on, almost there," and got off the hood to get back in the car.

As Henry settled down next to her, resuming his "lounge position," she couldn't help but throw a glance up at the sky, towards her own favorite star, Polaris, the queen of the northern sky and allow her own long dead embers of belief to borrow Henry's spark.

And as she put the car in gear, she thought to herself, wishing upon her star, that she hoped that Henry would always feel like she did right at that moment, crossing the Rockies by starlight, her truest love slouching in the passenger seat next to her, playing a game of I Spy with himself under his breath.

She wished that he would always feel like he was home.


	2. Chapter 2

_The day Emma stepped from prison with her baby boy, she had nothing but her life, her son, and the memories of what it felt to be truly loved for nothing more than who she was for the first time in her life. Those memories had helped the deep cuts of Neal's betrayal scar over, still very present, but now those wounds didn't bleed freshly everyday. Every once in awhile they would smart sharply, the deep aching pain bringing tears to her eyes, but in those moments, she could pull Henry to her and remind herself that even if she hated the man who made him, she could not regret the actions that brought Henry into the world._

 _The first months after she was released were horrible. Henry was colicky, no one would hire a convicted criminal, and more often than not she went to bed starving. But when the darkness within her threatened to swallow her up and she was ready to simply lay down and give up, Henry would say his first words or take his first steps, and the radiant joy on his face always served as her beacon of strength._

 _She jumped from shelter to shelter, not wanting to linger in one place too long and refusing to beg, even when she knew she probably should have. She did everything she could to keep from sliding back into thievery. She didn't want to tread that road again. She wanted to do things right for Henry's sake._

 _But then Henry got sick, a high fever that wouldn't break, and she couldn't get him to eat or stop crying. She was hysterical with worry for her baby and exhausted beyond measure. So she did the only thing she could think of- she watched a small chemist's, waiting for a customer to go in, before she quickly ducked in through the propped open door._

 _The teller was distracted discussing medications with the black man at the counter and Emma acted before she could second guess herself, slipping a thermometer and several infant medications into her bra and pockets before hurriedly leaving. Her heart was pounding as she raced back to the shady spot where she'd stowed Henry, the dappling of the sunlight under the tree the first thing to calm him down in days._

 _She sat on a park bench under the tree and managed to persuade him to take the medicine, checking his temperature every five minutes as she anxiously waited for the medication to take effect. And when his temperature dropped and his eyes finally fluttered shut as he succumbed to his exhaustion, she was so overwhelmed with relief that there was nothing she could do but hold her boy to her and cry as she was finally able to relax again, knowing that Henry would start getting better._

 _She was so distracted that she didn't notice a man walking up to her until she heard a throat clear not too far from her. Her head jerked up, clutching Henry closer to her as she took in a black man standing about ten feet away, his hands loosely clasped in front of him and a gentle smile on his face._

 _She eyed him warily, wondering what a stranger could want to say to her. When he didn't speak for several moments, she bit out harshly, "Can I help you?"_

 _Her voice was rough from her tears and her exhaustion, so the words were a little more breathy than she would have liked._

 _But they seemed to prompt him into speaking. He shrugged, "I mean, it depends."_

 _Her eyes narrowed as she watched him. "Depends on what?"_

 _"What you are willing to do."_

 _Emma leapt up from her bench with a scowl, "Who the fuck do you think you are, coming up to random women in a park and propositioning them?"_

 _The man's eyes widened in shock at her sudden fury, before they widened further, "Oh god, I'm so sorry, I didn't…. That wasn't…. Oh god this is exactly what Cleo meant about my stupid flare for a punchline." He smacked himself in the face with his palm before sliding his hand through his hair._

 _His genuine bashfulness eased Emma's mind somewhat as she watched him try to backpedal out of his implied proposition._

 _"You see, it wasn't supposed….. I simply meant… It was supposed-"_

 _Emma couldn't help but crack a tiny smile. "Why don't I stop you right there?" she rasped out and he snapped his mouth shut with a grateful nod, seeming to be glad she's stopped his rambling._

 _He cleared his throat, "Right …..um...let me try that again. Ahem. I run a small business that could use someone with your instincts."_

 _Emma raised an eyebrow at him, her hackles starting to raise again. "What instincts?"_

 _The man shrugged, almost apologetically, "I saw you grab some stuff from the chemists. You managed to time it perfectly."_

 _Emma instantly went rigid, eyes flickering around, searching for the sirens and shouts that she knew were coming. But the park remained quiet, the soft rustling of the trees in the breeze the only disturbance to the silence._

 _"I haven't called the police or anything. I thought about it, but when I saw that you'd gotten them for your baby, well…. It takes a heartless bastard to punish a mother for wanting to take care of her child."_

 _His words were sincere and Emma found herself believing him against her will. But she refused to trust her instinct again. Not after how badly it had gone wrong last time._

 _"So what? You just want to use me as some charity case that you can use to jerk off your self-righteousness to?"_

 _The man winced, "Well, it sounds a little… crude….. when you say it like that. What I meant was- I run a small agency, and our office staffer recently left the company. I'd like to offer you a job."_

 _Emma actually laughed. "Really, that's what you're going with?_

 _The man gave her a wry smile, "Ok, thats fair. Tell you what, I'm just going to leave my card here for you," he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small piece of cardstock, "and if you are interested in interviewing for the position, you are welcome to come by anytime this week."_

 _He paused for just a moment, a strangely familiar twinkle in his eye, "We can discuss it over lunch. If you like."_

 _And then he bent over, picking up a small stone and placing his card underneath it, before he turned and walked off, only giving a nod in farewell._

 _Emma waited until he had disappeared around a distant corner before she carefully approached the card, slowly lifting it from beneath the rock and looking down at it._

 _She gasped in shock, looking down at Henry as if he could confirm what she was seeing, something Mama told her once floating up from her memory as she stared down at the white card._

 _ **Emma's heart ached worse than usual that morning, and she refused to move, curled up around her bulging belly, trying to dispel the craving she felt for Neal's lips and the warmth of his body. When she didn't meet Mama for their usual lunch together, she knew that the woman would come looking for her. Sure enough, not long after she should have been down getting food, she heard Mama's distinctive footsteps coming up the hall.**_

 _ **"What's the matter today, sweet baby?" she crooned as she came into Emma's cell.**_

 _ **Emma didn't have an answer for her, so she just shook her head as more tears began to trail down her face. Mama didn't say anything else, just sat beside her and offered Emma her shoulder, which she took willingly. Mama's gentle hold kept Emma from falling to pieces, her soothing caress on Emma's hair smoothed her ragged pieces back into place.**_

 _ **Once her crying had subsided, Emma couldn't help but marvel at Mama's strength. So she had to ask, "How do you do it? How do you find the strength after all that you've been through?"**_

 _ **Mama gave a soft laugh. "Well, I know you don't believe in God the same way I do, so I'll see if I can explain it differently." Emma pulled back to look at her, and the old woman gave her an easy smile. "You see, the universe, God, fate, whatever you like, is constantly trying to better itself. Creating galaxies and solar systems out of dust, forming life out of single cells, adapting life into ever more intelligent forms. That is why people should aspire to help others. Not through any threat of punishment in the afterlife, but because it is the natural order of things- to better the universe. And why waste all your energy fighting the flow of the universe to make things worse when you can simply drift with it and enjoy life?"**_

 _ **But those words didn't sit right with Emma, "But Mama, why is there so much ….. bad in world if the natural flow is to be good?"**_

 _ **"Emma my sweet, good and better are not the same. Progress is not bound by morals. And sometimes, that means that bad people and bad things exist. I lost my baby, and that was a bad thing. But the world was made a better place as a result."**_

 _ **"What do you mean?"**_

 _ **"My son is gone, it is true, and I will grieve him until my dying breath. However, because of that bad thing, I found the strength needed to rid the world of the piece of scum that was his father. Because of that, I was brought here, where I was suddenly given a whole host of babies to love and look after, and because of my love, the lives of those here will be improved. And so the world as a whole was made better."**_

 _ **Emma shook her head, "But how could you possibly know that going into something bad that something 'better' will come of it?"**_

 _ **Mama smiled, giving a little laugh, "Oh my dear, the universe always lets you know what it's planning. It slips little plot teasers into everyday life. If you are paying attention, you'll see it, otherwise, it's only when you look back can you see the hints that the universe dropped."**_

 _ **Emma sat silent for a moment, before she asked quietly, "Is that what happened to you?"**_

 _ **Mama nodded, "Yes honey. When my boy was five or six, we sat out on our front porch looking out at the stars, and he said something profound, although at the time I didn't realize it. He said that God made all the other stars so that when ours goes out, we will still have light to live by. It won't be as bright, but there will be so many more that it will fill the darkness anyway. And as I was cradling his body, that bastard's blood still warm on my hands, all I could think to myself was that the light of my life, my sunshine was gone. As soon as I had that thought, his words came back to me, and suddenly I understood. He'd known. He wanted to make sure that I still had plenty of light."**_

 _ **Emma gasped slightly, but Mama wasn't done.**_

 _ **"Besides little one, no one stays dead forever. We all come back, walk different lifetimes and different lives, but if you look hard at some people, you'll come to recognize the same twinkle in their eyes or the same turn of their lips. If people are destined to be in your life, the universe will make it happen. It means that they will make you better. It'll give you a sign, just make sure you are paying attention. See that's why I'm strong, baby, because I know I'll see my Henry again someday. He may be dressed up in a different face, but the soul of my boy will be right there, looking out at me, a smile on his face that couldn't belong to anyone else."**_

 __ _Emma looked down at the card in her hand, the words of the woman who loved her echoing in her heart, and she couldn't help but shake her head at Mama Merlin, who had that special twinkle in her eye, and she couldn't help the tearful laugh that bubbled up from her throat as as she pressed a joyful kiss to Henry's head, knowing, somehow, that their life was about to get….better._

 _She breathed in Henry's smell before pulling him back to beam down at him, turning back towards the shelter, mentally going over what she'd need to do to get ready for her lunch interview._

 _And just to allow herself another wash of disbelief and happiness, she looked back down at the card in her hand._

 _Tintagel Bail Bonds  
Merlin Knight_

"Are we there yet?"

"Henry, I love you, I really do. But if you ask that question one more time, I will throw your body into that ravine over there and they will never find it."

As the last two days had begun to show, no matter how much love there was in a relationship, being trapped in small spaces with not enough food or distractions was not conducive to happy relationships.

Henry huffed and turned moodily to stare out his window, burying his face into his multicolored scarf that he insisted was "a fantastic reference to anyone who's a true fan" , his favorite Tardis scarf had fallen victim to a hastily opened soda the day before. She knew that he was actually being a really good sport about the drive.

48 hours driving across the country would wear on anyone, especially since Henry couldn't drive yet, and so Emma was limited to the ten or so hours of driving that she could stand before she either fell asleep at the wheel or crawl out of her skin. Henry had managed to deal with the long hours by rewatching the entire Doctor Who series, quoting along with the show and trying to pause and explain things to her. When he tried to explain the regenerating thing to her without it sounding like a cop out for dying- _"Its the same person but he's also completely different" "Doesn't that, by definition, have to mean he's a different person?" "You just don't understand it Mom."_ \- she just gave up and nodded along like she understood everything he was saying.

She knew he was a huge fan of the show, so she wanted him to remain as enthusiastic about it as possible, and if that meant bending her ear to Henry's chatter over the course of the many days they were driving, well then... so be it.

But even the Companions had lost their charm after the endless days of driving, and both of their tempers were wearing thin. Even the fairytale name of their intended destination did little to alleviate the stress. She still couldn't believe that there was a real town called Storybrooke somewhere in the world and the name had been used in serious conversation.

Very serious conversation.

 _She knocked softly on the open door to his office, waiting for the man to look up and invite her in before she dared cross over his threshold._

" _Ah Ms. Swan, do come in. Shut the door if you would, dearie."_

 _She stepped over the threshold and pulled the massive ebony door shut behind her. The dark office was a work of art, African blackwood furniture covered in a light tan leather, the likes of which she had never seen anywhere else but still seemed vaguely familiar, with ebony floors and wood siding, elaborate inlays of bocote creating spiraling patterns on the walls of the office. The uplighting from the floor lamps around the office reflected off the light patterning in the wood and as she moved across the office, it felt as if the walls were morphing hypnotically as she walked, making her slightly light-headed._

 _She made her way to his behemoth of a desk, the top of which was empty and polished to a shine. Nothing disturbed the surface of the massive piece of furniture, leaving nothing but an imposing no-man's-land between the little man with a big shadow and where she sat in the plush, pale seat. For some reason, everytime she sat down in his office, a crawling sensation crept up her spine, like her instincts were telling her something was wrong, but her senses could never perceive it._

 _The silence pressed down on her as she settled herself into the leather covered seats. Gold seemed to be in no rush to discuss whatever it was he'd called her here for, despite his secretary's insistence that it was absolutely urgent. He continued to regard her, his cold brown eyes sharp and clear. Trying to distract herself from the discomfort of his gaze, Emma recalled her first official meeting with the man before her._

 _ **After how she had initially met the man, Emma wasn't sure what to expect as she made her way towards the massive stone building that commanded the downtown street corner. She had been well acquainted with the name of Robert Gold before she had actually met the man, so his short stature had taken her by surprise when they had initially met face to face. But through the course of their conversation, she quickly understood why his shadows were cast both long and deep.**_

 _ **And standing on the street corner, she couldn't help but be impressed with whoever the architect had been. They had managed to perfectly encapsulate the nature of the man in the harsh and eerie architecture of the building.**_

 _ **The black exterior was streaked with long columns of gold, reminiscent of the art deco style. However, it was less the golden guilt capitals that caught her eye and more the complete lack of exterior windows. The gold running up the length of the building combined with the impenetrable black facade gave her a single foreboding impression, a truly golden-gilt cage.**_

 _ **The walk through the recessed doorway made her shiver. She remembered once hearing about the event horizon of black holes, the single point past which anything caught in its hold could not escape. Passing the threshold of the Golden Enterprises building had her suddenly wondering if she too was past the point of no return.**_

 _ **As she walked into the lobby, the foreboding she had felt in the shadow of the imposing facade turned in a shiver of apprehension as she took in the the massive foyer. The ceiling sat low, making the whole room feel claustrophobic despite the huge square footage of the space. The walls and ceiling were held up by columns and pilasters of gold, intricately carved into grotesque human forms that seemed to struggle under the weight of the capitals they supported.**_

 _ **The glistening black marble of the exterior continued inside the building, making the whole vastness of the room feel as if it was the entrance to the abyss. Insets lined the wall between the pilasters and within the alcoves sat black plinths. Upon the stands sat objects that glistened in the sparse light thrown by the wall-mounted sconces, but she wasn't wearing her glasses so she couldn't tell what they were from where she was standing.**_

 _ **She slowly made her way deeper into the vast room, warrily glancing at the carved columns as she passed, the feeling of being watched crawling over her skin. The sound of her shoes beat an ominous tattoo in her ears as she ventured further.**_

 _ **She had been about to turn tail andyh call the whole thing off when she heard steps sound off to her left. She turned quickly to see a man dressed in a three piece suit that probably had cost more than all the money she had ever made or stolen put together. His steps were smooth, but something about how he held his body immediately set her on edge.**_

" _ **Is there something I can help you with miss?" His voice was soft, but disquieting, like the drag of wet velvet across her skin. "Are you...lost?"**_

 _ **The way he savored the word made her suddenly very grateful she had never wandered into the building before, out of curiosity or for a job. Somehow she knew that unwanted visitors were not welcome.**_

 _ **She summoned up her courage and composure and managed to say in a steady voice, "I was invited here by Robert Gold."**_

 _ **As soon as the words left her mouth, the change in the man's demeanor was immediate.**_

 _ **His posture immediately relaxed, while at the same time, a strange tension found its way into his form. "Forgive me, I did not realize he was having guests today. Please, follow me miss."**_

 _ **He turned slightly, gesturing for her to start walking. She hesitated for half a moment, something telling her that if she took a step she would be consigning herself to a fate she wasn't yet aware of. And as her step faltered , she could have sworn she saw the man's eyes change. But the next moment, he gave a gracious smile, and she told herself she had imagined it.**_

 _ **"Come miss." It sounded almost like a command, and she almost decided to turn and run, when she remembered that this was her avenue to ensuring that Henry lived the perfect life. So after a quick breath, she led with her right foot, walking toward an unknown future.**_

 _ **The man took her towards wall that she could have sworn had not been there before. Then a door swung open, revealing a long carpeted hallway, the blood red fabric of the flooring doing nothing to diminish the weight of the black stone around it.**_

 _ **The man led her through the door. As soon as her feet crossed the threshold, she saw the door move out of the corner of her eye. She turned quickly, but before she could do more than draw a sharp breathy, the door had swung shut, the seams of the entrance vanishing into the black marble around it.**_

 _ **It was in that moment that Emma realized that she had willingly walked herself into the trap.**_

 _ **They continued along the hallway, nothing around them changing. Emma wasn't good at math, nor did she claim to be an expert in distance or architecture, but she was sure that the hallway was far longer than should have fit inside the building it occupied. Then suddenly there was another wall.**_

 _ **The man stepped up to it and did something that she couldn't see, his body concealing the movement from her. As if by magic, the wall before her parted down the middle, to reveal the interior of a small elevator.**_

 _ **The man gestured for her to enter, and she did, still completely thrown by the whole experience, unable to do much more than watch the man as he stepped in next to her and did something else, causing the doors to close.**_

 _ **The she felt the first external indicator of distance since she'd entered the ghostly building. The rapid speed she could tell they were traveling upward at was making her slightly dizzy and making her ears pop. And as the car slowed, the sensation had her feeling as if her shoulders were melting into the floor while her feet were starting to float.**_

 _ **The disorienting sensation lasted through another long corridor, before the man led her to another wall, turning to her, "Welcome to Golden Enterprises."**_

 _ **Then, as if rehearsed, the wall opened to reveal a massive space that was filled with a flurry of activity. Phones ringing and people running to and fro. A regular office.**_

 _ **The sudden change from the black stone and barely lit hallways they had been traversing to the massive open space, lit with bright glittering chandeliers, was shocking.**_

 _ **Emma tried to get her bearings as the man led her through the tumult, easily navigating the spaces between pieces of furniture and hurrying people.**_

 _ **At long last, the man stopped before a massive door made of intricately grained wood.**_

" _ **Mr. Gold will see you now," he said quietly, before turning to knock once on the door. There was a pause and it was almost as if the whole office fell silent for a moment before she heard a quiet, but distinctly clear voice call.**_

" _ **You may enter."**_

 _ **Then the door swung open, revealing the interior of an office the likes of which she had never seen before. But what caught her attention was the man standing just to the side of massive desk. He gave a smile that set her very soul on edge.**_

" _ **Ah Miss Swan, than**_ _k you so much for coming."_

 _His voice drew her out of her memory and her eyes refocused on the man sitting at the desk in front of her. His eyes glittered with the same conniving and cruel light that they had on the day that they'd met._

 _She gave him a brief nod, "Of course, sir. How can I help you?"_

 _A strange smile snuck across his face, "Yes, how indeed?" He paused and Emma tried to find something to respond to that comment with, but before she could, he continued. "I have an… assignment for you."_

 _Emma resisted the urge to roll her eyes. 'Assignment' was the word Gold used to describe his less than legal tendencies._

" _ **Please have a seat," he gestured toward the leather covered chairs in front of his desk before he addressed the man at her shoulder, "That will be all. You may go."**_

 _ **She turned to watch the man give the slightest of bows, "Yessir." Then in one smooth move he turned and exited the room, the door swinging shut behind him.**_

 _ **"Please, Miss Swan, if you would."**_

 _ **She turned back, the man watching her carefully. Summoning what composure she had, Emma nodded, "Thank you."**_

 _ **She settled into the seat, noticing the strange texture of the leather, before she refocused on the man before her, who had taken his own seat.**_

 _ **Silence fell, but she had played that game before. So she kept her face still as she waited him out. His eye glittered strangely in the light of the office and the patterning of the wood behind his desk made her slightly dizzy. But she was able to keep herself still until he finally spoke up again.**_

 _ **"I see you have decided to accept my offer. That's good." He paused and looked down, and she heard a drawer slide open before he brought up a thin document envelope to the top of his desk. Then he reached back down into the drawer, sliding it shut before bringing a second, much thicker envelope to the top of his desk.**_

 _ **There was no doubt in Emma's mind what the second enveloped contained. There were only so many things that could like like a tall wad of cash, and she had a feeling none of them would be found in a place like this. She tried to keep her eyes from giving away just how badly she wanted it. But when her eyes flicked back to his face and the knowing smile that sat upon it, she had a feeling that she had been less than successful.**_

 _ **"Yes," he simpered, laying a hand on top of the envelope, "this is your...advance payment. But I'll need some assurances from you before I simply hand it over. Guarantees that you'll be able to do the work and handle the ...assignments. You understand."**_

 _ **Emma's spine straightened. She knew that there were going to be strings attached to this job, but the way he said it made her wonder exactly what price she was paying.**_

 _ **He slid the flattened envelope towards her, "This contains our contract. In it you'll find the conditions of your …. service to me."**_

 _ **Emma bristled at that, "Service? Whoa whoa, I'm not anyone's servant."**_

 _ **Gold tilted his head, "Apologies, dearie. A poor choice of words only. Consider it an agreement...of employment. Nothing more. Just sign on the dotted line and the advance is yours." As he spoke, he pushed the thick envelope a little closer to her.**_

 _ **Emma had only met Gold once before but somehow she knew that the man never misspoke. She looked back at the slim envelope that sat at the edge of the desk, hesitating.**_

" _ **Unless you are having second thoughts." Gold's eyes glittered as he pulled the thick envelope back towards his side of his massive desk. And just like that Emma made up her mind, quickly reaching out to take the envelope, pulling out the papers.**_

" _ **I didn't think so," Gold said softly, the hand that had been pulling the advance away from her now offering an antique looking fountain pen. With one last glance at the cash filled envelope, she looked down at the papers, and started to sign away what felt like her very soul.**_

" _This assignment is nearly twenty years in the making. You are, of course, aware of the considerable progress we have made on the Gold Coast Pipeline, are you not?"_

 _Emma nodded. The Pipeline had been one of the great brain children of Golden Enterprises. A massive oil line that stretched from the Northwest Territories south to a river outlet that was a little north of Vancouver. Gold had managed to grease... or rather oil... the palms of enough Canadian that the design of the Pipeline itself had passed. But for some reason, the Canadian government had not yet approved a start of construction for the pipeline._

" _Yes sir." Emma was trying to understand where he was going with all this. As far as she was aware, the implementation of the pipeline was only a vote in the British Columbian Parliament away from construction beginning. It was supposed to be a sure thing._

" _And as you probably have heard, we are awaiting only the vote for the project to move forward."_

 _Again, Emma dipped her head, "Yes.. sir?"_

 _Gold tilted his head and for just a moment, a flash of irritation crossed his face. The loss of composure surprised Emma, but she kept her face still as he took a deep breath and cleared his throat._

" _What you have heard, is, unfortunately for….. the company…. only the partial truth." Emma's eyebrows jumped up in surprise. "It is true that the vote will decide the fate of the pipeline. However, the vote cannot be held until one final consent is received."_

 _Emma knew that each protected territory that the pipeline was going to pass through had to give consent for the passage. And whether by bribe or by brutality, Gold had gotten the consent he'd needed, all the way to the coast. There was no more territory that the pipeline needed to pass through._

" _As I am sure you are working out, Ms. Swan, consent on land is not the issue. But we have run into a….. slight roadblock. You know, I am sure, that the terminal is several miles from the sea at the rear of the sound. To get the tankers to the terminal, they must pass through territorial waters. And it is there that we are finding.. difficulties._

 __ _Emma's eyebrow raised. "Territorial waters? I thought that the pipeline had already received approval from all the First Nations."_

 _Gold paused a moment to glower at her interruption. "Yes well this is a rather unique case. Because the waters and the islands within the sound do not technically fall into the territorial category. The land was given by the residents to the government to serve as a reserve, with the condition that they have final say in all matters of importance. And therein lies the problem, because the inhabitants of the sound's islands have refused to allow us passage through their waters or anchorage at their ports, small and ramshackle as they may be."_

 _Emma sat back, the implications of the situation sinking in. With this small move of defiance, the residents of the sound had managed to successfully stall a multi-billion dollar project. She could guess, now that she had all the information, exactly what it was that Gold was going to be asking her to do._

 _"So this is where you come in. I want you to go to the main town on the islands and…. persuade the general populace to change its mind. You will have a week to get your affairs in order and set up a reliable cover. This will be a…. long lasting arrangement, so bear that in mind."_

 _Emma nodded, starting to go through the list of things she would need to see to, most importantly where Henry would go to school when the fall started and if he was going to need better winter clothes._

 _"So Ms. Swan," Gold's voice pulled her back. "Will you travel to Storybrooke and ensure the future of the pipeline and of Golden Enterprises?"_

 _Emma's brows furrowed, "Storybrooke?"_

 _Gold nodded, a curious type of sneer on his face, "Yes, that is the name of the town. Storybrooke."_

 _Emma just shrugged in acceptance, "Yes, I will."_

 _Gold eyed her for a moment then opened his mouth to speak when his desk intercom beeped quietly. He sighed, snapping a sharp "WHAT?" towards the phone._

 _His secretary seemed unphased, "Sorry to interrupt you sir, but your son is here for the meeting."_

 __ _Gold's entire demeanor changed_ _ **.**_ _"Thank you, let him know I'll be there momentarily."_

 __ _"Yes sir," the intercom fell silent with a click and Emma couldn't help the question that popped out._

 _"You have a son?"_

 _Gold's glare sent a shiver of foreboding through her, "That is none of your concern, dearie. Now I suggest you begin your preparations. You have one week before you depart."_

 _Clearly dismissed, Emma stood, nodded to the man, then made her way to the door._

 _As she got closer to the door, somehow it felt like her chest was starting to ache. It was a sensation she couldn't remember having since Henry had been born, and she was so distracted that she had almost closed the door behind her before a question popped into her head._

 _Peeking her head back around, she spoke to the man still sitting as his desk, looking for all the world like he was trying to bore a hole in the polished surface of his desk with his eyes._

 __ _"Sorry sir," his eyes turned to her and they looked almost dead. "You said that it was a reserve. What is it for?"_

 _At her question, the man straightened, a cunning look twisting his features, and she could have sworn for just a moment, the light of the room flashed strangely in his eyes, making the pupils look... gold. But that wasn't possible._

 _"Why, Ms. Swan, I am so glad that you asked. It's a reserve for wolves… Sea wolves."_


	3. Chapter 3

"Mom, I absolutely hate you right now."

Emma had to turn her head slightly to hide her smile. The statement was lacking any venom, as its speaker had roughly the same complexion as the dead fish they'd seen floating past the ferry.

After so many days of traveling in what could have amounted to a cardboard box on wheels, her son's iron optimism and unflagging excitement had finally met their match. It came in the form of a pack of vertically challenged fishermen, an old trawler that had been converted into a tourist ferry at the end of the fishing season, and an almost four hour trip on the water. In her son's defense, she wasn't feeling all that great either.

 _When they had arrived in Kitimat, Henry had practically thrown himself into the ocean in his excitement when he found out that they would be taking a ferry for the last leg of their journey. Because, while this tiny town now boasted the claim of hosting the terminal to the Gold Coast Pipeline, the village that was posing the issue to the shipping corridor was out at the very mouth of the sound._

 _Emma had stopped by the small field office that was monitoring the terminal to ask about a way to get to the island. The man sitting at the desk seemed less interested in her question than other things he was seeing, apparently completely undeterred by the presence of her son. However, when she dropped Gold's name with a sweet smile, mentioning that she was here on a special project and that he was waiting for her to check in, the guard suddenly became much more helpful._

 _He directed them down to slip seven, which was the seasonal home of the_ Fishy Dwarves _, a lobster trawler turned tourist ferry in the off season, and its crew. Henry had muttered under his breath that the boat must have been named after its crew, and Emma had to bite her lip to keep from bursting into laughter._

 _The crew in question was an interesting collection of characters, all clearly from_ short _stories, and the skipper was the most fascinating character of all._

 _Henry had run up to the man where he stood at the edge of the dock, identified by the shouts of several crew members on board asking for direction, and chirped out an excited, "Good morning Captain!"_

 _The man had turned to stare down at Henry with a scowl. "Do I look like a military man to you, kid? I'm the skipper! Not some stuck up captain. God, don't they teach kids anything these days?"_

 _Emma was immediately ready to leap down the man's throat in her son's defense, but another man hurried up to them, apologies already tumbling out of his mouth for his compatriot's behavior._

 _"I am so sorry ma'am. Please don't mind him. I'm so sorry he can sometime be… I am just so so sorry. Really truly very sorry. Honestly, I am really so-"_

 _"It's alright; we all have bad days," Emma cut the newcomer off, shooting the_ skipper _a healthy side eye when he snorted. "Maybe you can help us, though?"_

 _The man instantly perked up, barely throwing a glance at his companion. "Of course I can! What can I do for you?"_

 _"We are trying to reach Storybrooke and were told that you guys are headed out that way with cargo for the town."_

 _Emma was shocked at the instant change in the man's demeanor. Where before he'd been obliging, he was now regarding them with narrowed and suspicious eyes. Meanwhile, the skipper let out what would best be described as a growl as he glowered at her._

 _"What would two city folk like yourselves be needing out on the island?" The easy going lightness that had been present in the newcomer's voice was gone. The skipper crossed his arms and tried to make himself look imposing. He ended up several inches short of the mark._

 _Emma opened her mouth to answer when Henry cut her off. "Mom's researching sea wolves! She's gonna take pictures and write an article 'cause they are endangered, aren't they? I was doing some reading about them and they can swim like twelve miles! That's so cool!"_

 _Despite Henry's enthusiasm, the men were still eyeing her carefully. "Why you doin' research ma'am?"_

 _Emma shrugged. "Well, my editor told us that all of our next stories were long ones so when it came time to choose what we were going to cover, I knew that Henry loved wolves, so that was what I picked."_

 _"What paper do you work for, then?"_

 _Henry was about to answer him again, but Emma was getting a little fed up with the inquisition, so she dropped a hand to his shoulder, silently quieting him as she turned on her favorite mom-glare in her repertoire. Henry had coined it the_ Now or Death _glare. She felt a deep satisfaction when both grown men took a step back, and she could feel Henry's shoulder shake slightly under her hand when he tried to keep from laughing._

 _"Where I work is no concern of yours. Where we are from is no concern of yours. The only thing that is your concern is deciding on whether or not you can get over the small town stick up your ass long enough to take us to the island."_

 _There was a potent pause and Emma felt a mild twinge at swearing in front of Henry. Then the skipper burst out into grating laughter, startling the rest of the group._

 _"Oh, I like you sister. Yeah we'll take you and your kid. We'll load up and shove off in about an hour. I hope you both packed your sea legs, or you are going to have an interesting trip."_

It was now hour four, and an interesting trip was the most mild way of putting it. They nearly drove her bug into the water trying to get it onto the the small boat, then nearly crashed while trying to shove off. Then the skipper had gently informed them that they had to stay out by the Bug and out of the way of the crew.

His exact words were, "Get your scrawny city asses out of our way. Ain't no seats but the ones you brought with you so might as well make the most of 'em."

So she and Henry had been parked in the Bug for the last few hours with nothing to distract them from the rolling and dipping. Henry had tried to stick it out, but about forty five minutes in, he'd made a mad dash from his seat to the side of the boat. And despite it being only a few feet away, he barely made it to the railing.

Emma had rushed to his side, trying to soothe him through his sea sickness while fighting down her own. After his stomach had settled enough to sit back down, he'd opted to curl up in the back seat of the Bug, from where he was now currently pouting at her. She couldn't really blame him.

He had been such a trooper through the whole ordeal, and giving a quick glance toward the back seat, observing him for a moment while his eyes were closed, she could not help but marvel at her son. He had been her number one supporter from the very beginning. Every time she came home after another "assignment" was completed, despairing if there was any good in humanity or herself at all, he would always be there with open arms and a beaming smile.

She'd made a promise to him when he was born that she would never lie to him, and when she had taken the job with Gold, she'd had every intention of keeping that promise. But as her investigations slowly turned less from gathering information to ….obtaining information, she could not bring herself to keep her promise. Every time she had to wait until she was sure he was asleep before coming home to make sure she could get into the shower before she saw him, she felt as if she was swallowing poison.

She had once promised that she'd never lie to herself either. But as red stained water ran down the drain, she told herself that it was for the best. For the best that she continued to work for Gold, that it was for the best that she did what he asked. For the best that she lied to her son every time he asked how her special investigation assignment from her editor had gone. That all the seduction she'd used instead of alternate methods was for the best. That the blood on her hands, taken by her mercy, instead of at the hand of one of Gold's more sadistic hires, was for the best.

That the methods of "persuasion" she used were for the best.

That the quick death she gave was for the best.

 _It had taken almost a full year before he used Henry. In retrospect, it was a miracle that he had waited that long. But he was apparently saving his best pressure point for last._

 _"Ah Miss Swan, thank you so much for joining me."_

 _Emma said nothing as she sat ramrod straight in one of the leather seats before his desk. Her skin was already crawling from the sensation of her bare legs rubbing on the strange leather from her skirt riding up. But the gleam in his eye sent a whole new wave of discomfort rushing through her._

 _Gold paused, head tilting slightly as he considered her, before speaking. "As I am sure you have surmised, I have a new assignment for you."_

 _Emma simply waited, knowing that he loved his little pleasantries and having absolutely no patience for them. He seemed to pick up on it, eyes narrowing ever so slightly in consideration before a tiny smile began to slide across his lips. It was like watching a crocodile trying to smile, any pleasant effect of the expression ruined by the unadulterated malice of the face sporting it._

 _"There is a man of some import in New Jersey that seems to think that he can criticise my company. He says that our business is a joke. I require you to educate him on the matter."_

 _Emma was confused for a fraction of a moment, trying to understand his typical asking-by-not-asking double entendre. But the malicious gleam in his eye made the statement click._

 _"Fuck no! I am not going to go "educate" some poor-"_

 _"How's Henry?"_

 _It was almost ironic. She and Henry had been watching Star Wars the night before and Henry had asked what being frozen in carbonite would feel like. She'd told him she didn't know. But as Gold's words echoed in her ears, she couldn't help but think in a distracted part of her mind, the part that was always thinking about her son, that she had an answer for him now._

 _Gold's smile widened. "He's such a smart boy. So much potential. I do hope you are taking good care of him. It would be unfortunate for the world if something were to befall such a special boy."_

 _His threat could not have been any clearer, unless he'd actually said the words. She bit back the venom she was itching to spew, settling herself back into the seat with discomfort and defeat as his smile widened further, knowing he'd won. As he'd always known he would._

 _Emma stewed in her anger as the man continued. "As I was saying, I need you to educate this gentleman. I need him to understand that Golden Enterprises takes it business very seriously. But it needs to be handled with discretion. Am I understood?"_

 _She refused to grace him with an answer, hoping that if she walked out of the office, she might somehow have enough wiggle room to not follow his orders. But he seemed to see through her ploy as easily as if she'd said it out loud._

 _"Your word, Miss Swan."_

 _She grit her teeth but knew that she'd been backed into a corner. If she didn't concede to him, she knew that he'd go after Henry. If she did, she was certain that this was only the beginning._

 _"I will educate him, sir, and no one else need ever know."_

 _She slammed the door on her way out. It was for the best._

"LAND HO!"

The coarse shout brought Emma abruptly back from her remincince and a moment later, the whole Bug shook as Henry jerked upright, swaying for a moment when he got upright, still off kilter.

"Did he say land? Solid land? Not swaying and making me sick land?"

Emma could not keep back her chuckle at his enthusiasm as he tripped out of the car in his haste to watch the shore approach. While they had actually been travelling well in sight of land for the entire trip, the significance of the shout could only mean that they had reached their destination. Finally.

"Henry, be careful!" she called after him, shaking her head as she slowly unfolded herself from her curled up position in the front seat. She winced as her stiff joints protested to the movement, but her back was grateful to be freed from the driver's chair at last.

Gil Island acted as the guardian to the sound, and Storybrooke was built in a bay on the southern tip of the island. As they approached the mouth of the bay, Emma marvelled at the optimal positioning of the town. The natural inset gave the town plenty of shelter from the Northern squalls, but it still offered the perfect vantage point to keep watch over the ocean of the surrounding area. At the bluffs of the promentory, a proud but run down lighthouse seemed to stand watch over both the headland and the vast Pacific seas beyond.

When Emma had looked at the map after she received the assignment, she'd taken particular interest in the geography of the land, knowing that she would have to be familiar with the ecosystem from top to bottom in order to sell her cover. As she studied the shoreline, she noticed that the peninsula that guarded the town hooked ever so slightly, like the land itself was arching inward to protect its inhabitants.

Henry was practically falling over the side of the railing in his eagerness to witness the end of the hellish journey, and Emma gave another quiet chuckle as she came up behind him to put a hand on his back.

"I'm not gonna fall in Mom, jeez," she heard him mutter, even as he leaned farther out and she responded with an eye roll. But then both were taken aback when a quiet voice spoke from just behind them.

"It's a shame you don't have your camera, Miss."

Emma turned to see one of the crew, looking down at his feet bashfully.

"Why is that?"

He looked up, as if he was surprised she was still speaking with him, then gave an excited little grin before turning to point back towards the stern, in the direction of the point where the lighthouse they'd passed stood. To her amazement, Emma could actually faintly make out animals standing on the bluffs.

She could make out about five forms and when she squinted, she was able to make their forms out more clearly. Wolves.

There were four gray wolves from what she could tell. But one stood apart from the others, and even without knowing anything about the social structures of wolf packs or anything about animal behavior beyond how to keep a fish alive, Emma was absolutely certain that particular wolf was the alpha of the pack.

Its fur was completely black, standing still as a statue. Even though the distance made it nothing more than a semi-indistinct figure, she could tell that it was watching them.

 _The Swans had decided that for Emma's birthday, she could pick anywhere she wanted to celebrate. Emma was so excited that she didn't know what to pick. She wanted to go somewhere she would really remember._

 _So she decided that she wanted to go to the zoo._

 _What could be better than going to see lost animals that had all found a home together?_

 _When the day arrived, Emma could barely contain her excitement, bouncing down the stairs at a speed that on any other day would have had her tripping and falling. But not that day. Because it was her birthday._

 _When she pranced into the kitchen, it was to the smell of her favorite breakfast- omelettes. She knew on instinct that there was orange juice to go with it._

 _"Omelettes!" she screamed, catching the attention of the two adults at the kitchen island. They both snapped upright from where they'd been hunched over, presumably talking about dumb adult stuff._

 _"Hey bunny!" Mr. Swan was always calling her that. Emma didn't get it, but she loved having a special name, like other kids she knew did._

 _"John," Mrs. Swan sighed quietly. She only did that when she was mad at him. But he didn't seem to hear her. And Emma didn't really care when he scooped her up to soar her around the kitchen, giggling hysterically the whole time._

 _She could barely sit still the entire ride to the zoo, telling the Swans excitedly what she hoped to see and all the facts she could remember. They stayed silent, occasionally sending glances at each other. Emma appreciated the chance to tell them everything that was on her mind. They were always so thoughtful._

 _When the gates of the zoo came into sight, she pressed her face up against the window, the squeal of excitement just so big that it couldn't get out of her throat and she just ended up letting out a breath that fogged up the glass._

 _Then they were parked and she was holding hands with Mr. Swan, trying desperately to drag him faster._

 _"Come on come on come!" she begged, and Mr. Swan gave in with a quiet laugh, until both were running to the ticket stalls. Soon all three of them were passing under the two pouncing lions that made up the zoo gates._

 _Emma couldn't believe everything she was seeing. Monkeys and colorful birds and otters and penguins. It was amazing. This day was the best one in her entire life._

 _And at the end of the day, it only got better when they finally got to the best part of the zoo. The carnivores._

 _She loved all things with sharp teeth, loved the vicious beauty of them. The idea that what made them scary was what made them the best. Was what made them beautiful._

 _It wasn't until the last exhibit that she realized that the Swans weren't behind her. She stopped and looked around trying to find them. When they didn't immediately appear, Emma thought about maybe going to look for them. But then she heard another young child shout, "Oh Mommy mommy look there's a little one!"_

 _And she just had to see what all the excitement was about. She ran back over to the railing, dipping and bobbing to see through the glare of the glass in front of her._

 _Sure enough, there was a small wolf pup, sitting at the edge of the enclosure, away from the rest of the wolves. It was so little, and her heart swelled with love for the little animal. It sat and started gnawing on a stick._

 _Then she heard one of the smart people who worked for the zoo starting to talk about the wolves and she scampered over to listen._

 _"This pack is unique. All of the wolves here have been saved, and are destined to be released back into the wild once they have recovered. However, one wolf in particular, has our caretakers worried. The small pup, that you can see down below, was born to a sick mother. All her littermates died during birth. The mother remained sick throughout the pup's first weeks, and was unable to pull through. But it's not the orphan part that makes this pup so interesting. It's that the rest of the wolves here in the sanctuary will not bond with her. For some reason, she seems to carry a taint that keeps her from getting accepted, anywhere."_

 _Emma was surprised when suddenly Mr. Swan appeared, grabbing her by the arm, "There you are, we need to go."_

 _Emma struggled faintly, "But I wasn't done looking at the wolves yet."_

 _He simply shook his head, "Yes you are. We need to get you back to the house and packed up so you are ready to leave."_

 _Emma was confused, "I'm going somewhere?"_

 _Mr. Swan didn't answer her. And as they walked away, she was able to hear a faint warbling yowl, the cry of one lost with no place to call home or family. She was about to learn that cry all too well._

She was startled by the skipper's harsh shout. "Hey sister, get your kid back on board. And get away from the side while you're at it. We coming in!"

A slight wave of vertigo passed over her as Emma tugged Henry back, turning back towards the shore. She was shocked by how quickly it had approached. She could only have been watching the wolves for a moment, but the distance to the shore said that they'd travelled almost the entire breadth of the bay. The slip was fast approaching.

Very, _very_ fast approaching.

"He's gonna stop…. before we get to the dock, right?"

Emma gave a slightly nervous laugh. "Yeah, kid. I'm sure the captain knows what he's doing."

"It's _skipper_ , Mom." The joke fell a little flat because of the nervous strain in his voice.

Just as Emma was beginning to doubt the truth of her statement, the man screamed "Full reverse!"

A horrible screeching sound echoed across the water as the driveshaft gears ground against the the transmission sprockets. The whole ship seemed to vibrate as the engine picked up speed, the high revolutions trying to catch the gears. Then with a sudden jerk, the driveshaft caught, sending both Emma and Henry flying forward onto the deck.

Landing hard on her side, Emma swore as she pushed herself up before quickly refocusing. "Henry, you alright?"

"UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUgggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh," was the only answer she received.

She gave a quiet laugh as she got her feet underneath her, turning to help Henry up. He was laying on the planks looking up at her with an irritated expression. But when she offered her hand to him, he gave a put upon sigh that had her rolling her eyes before he reached up and grabbed her hand to pull himself up.

Once Henry was on his feet, she let his hand go so he could dust himself off as she once again looked around. And she came up short. They had somehow ended up right next to the docks, the boat just barely drifting forward along the slip. The remaining members of the crew appeared on deck, tossing ropes around the cleats that were screwed into the wood.

"How….?" Henry muttered, also taking in their position.

She heard a chuckle, turning to see the crew member who had pointed out the wolves smiling wryly next to them.

"Sorry about that. Something in the engine's broke and once the engine gets above a certain speed, it can't drop back down to an idle. And because of the shape of the bay, there's a strong current that crosses about twenty meters in front of the docks, so we can't just cut the engine and drift in, 'cause we'd get pulled into those cliffs over there." He nodded towards the imposing wall of rock off to their left. "So the skipper's developed a ….technique for gettin' across. It ain't pretty, but it works," he finished with a shrug.

Emma and Henry exchanged a look, clearly communicating exactly what the thought of the skipper's _technique_ , but said no more about it.

"Leroy, just where in the hell have you been?"

A stern looking old woman stood at the edge of the pier, scowling at the boat.

"Ah shut up ya' old hag. We aren't that late." The skipper shouted as he stepped out from the helm compartment. Emma raised an eyebrow, shooting a glance down at the crew member that stood by her.

He gave an embarrassed cough, "Ahem, yeah that would be Granny. She runs the inn and diner. She's very… um-"

"Your lazy ass is late enough that I gone run out of flour again and that means I ain't got no pie."

"No... no pie?" the question came from the slowest moving of the crew, and Granny, apparently, let out a scoff.

"That's right, Jeffry, no pies. Because you are LATE!"

Henry shuffled closer to her and she could see how tightly he was clenching his jaw to keep from laughing. "I should put that on the internet. It'd be the newest meme. I'd be famous."

That had Emma biting back her own smirk, "Yeah but what picture would you use?"

She heard him suck in a breath to answer before his brow furrowed, "Hmm that's a good point. I'll have to work on that."

She just shook her head in amusement, before looking around. The crew was still working diligently, unloading what was apparently a late cargo load of flour. She had to admit, despite their _shortcomings_ , they made for an efficient team. Each had their station, lifting, hauling and passing the bags of cargo up from the hold. She almost expected the whole lot of them to start singing or so-

"Mom."

The worry in Henry's hissed word immediately had her attention. She whipped around to look at him and immediately took in his pensive expression as he stared over the side of the boat. She quickly turned to see what had caught his attention.

A dozen pairs of eyes were locked onto the two of them and the whole dock was silent.


End file.
